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Cholakian & Assocs. v. Superior Court, No. C076759 (D3 Apr. 29, 2015) 
 
This is a bad faith denial of insurance and legal malpractice case against the former defendant’s insurer and two law firms, stemming from a big liability verdict in an auto accident case. It was filed in Sacto Superior—the same venue as the underlying trial. The insurers demurred, one firm answered, and the other moved to transfer venue to San Mateo County under Code of Civil Procedure § 396b(a). On the venue motion, the trial court found that venue was generally improper in the Sac, because no defendant resided there. But because some defendants had answered, it found that, under § 396b(d), the convenience of witness was an overriding factor and thus denied the motion. The law firm took a writ.